9 to 5 nails: what works at work

We can all agree that neon yellow nail polish won’t fly in most corporate office environments, but work-appropriate polish extends beyond sheer nudes or “business lady pink.” I’ve put together a few tips for the 9-to-5 crowd, plus my top office-friendly polish picks for the season.

• Nudes are nice, but white or slightly off-white polish looks so fresh and clean. A sloppy white manicure can look like you went crazy with the Wite-Out, so use a remover-dipped makeup brush to clean up around the edges for a crisp, professional look.
• My favorite office polish color right now is pale mint/pistachio green, like Dew from RGB. This barely-there green looks just as professional as a pale pink or nude, while letting you embrace an on-trend, updated color.
• If you work in a strict corporate environment or are only comfortable wearing neutrals, kick your nude nails up a notch with a hint of subtle shimmer. Cult Nails Mazo is a sheer nude with barely-there shimmer that adds a little glitz to a subdued mani. You can also layer a flakie or glitter top coat over your go-to nude polish – Essie LuxEffects is a good place to start.
• The shorter you keep your nails, the more colors you can pull off. A saturated orange or a nearly-black purple may look unprofessional on long nails, but the exact same colors can look sophisticated and chic on short, nicely shaped nails.
• Chips happen, so if you wear dark polish at work, keep single-serving remover wipes in your desk. A chipped mani is never a good look. Try Deborah Lippmann Stripper To Go or Cutex Remover Pads.
• And of course, you can’t go wrong with a classic red. It just works, period.

Top row: OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls / Essie Pure Pearlfection / RGB Dew / Essie Who Is the Boss

Middle row: Cult Nails Mazo / Butter London Teddy Girl / Nails Inc. Wellington Square

Bottom row: Deborah Lippmann It’s Raining Men / RGB Haze / Nails Inc. The Thames

Office attire: J.Crew

If you work in an office, how does that impact your polish choices? Let me know in the comments!

Giveaway winner: Thank you to everyone who entered my Nails Inc. giveaway. I loved reading all of your comments. I used Random.org to select a winner – the Neon & Nude Collection goes to …  Teresa Rice! Congrats!